Mischievous Dilettantism: Dismantling the Professional Artist

In the last few decades, we have gone through a process of hyper-professionalization in the arts. The consequences are several: competitiveness rules social interaction; artists have become passive obedient agents who submit to the evaluation of professional control systems and public critical approval; and they surrender to the judgement of the mediators’ authority. Hence, professionalism has become the ultimate criteria in validating/legitimizing an artist, hijacking the public space and turning it into a space for publicity, individual achievement, a career ladder, profit seeking… Is “professional artist” an oxymoron? In that case, what exactly is the tension produced by an artist becoming more professional? How can one benefit from the tension of this contradiction? Can this tension constitute a playground/battlefield for artists to operate and produce work? How can an artwork dismantle the positions of privilege installed and perpetuated by professionalism? How does one reformulate the political body as the main tool for social transformation?